High voltage switch



Oct. 9, 1934. H. J. CRABBS HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCH Filed Nov. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Herbert clCrabbs ATT'ORNEY H. J. cRAB Bs 1,976,006

HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCH Filed Nov. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Herbert J.C rabbs 7 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,976,006 men VOLTAGE s'wrrcu Herbert J.

Crabbs, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 6, 1928, Serial No. 317,635

2 Claims.

My invention relates to electric switches and particularly to disconnecting switches for highvoltage circuits.

One object of my inve tion is to provide a dis- 7 connecting switch for an electric circuit that shall when the columns are in substantially vertical positions but act to oppose movement of them either inwardly or outwardly from their vertical positions.

My invention will best be understood by rego ferring to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view, in side elevation, of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, in elevation, of the contacts embodied in the disconnecting switch,

.25 shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the pivotal portion of the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1.

My invention comprises, in general, a base 1 having brackets 2 and 3 upon which insulating columns 4 and 5 are pivotally supported to be tilted toward or away from each other, in a plane perpendicular to the base, by means of suitable operating mechanism (not shown).

Under some circumstances, it may be advantageous to mount the insulating columns to tilt in different planes, but, for illustration, the embodiment herein shown is employed.

Contact members 7 and 8 are mounted on the 4o tops of the respective insulators, 4 and 5, and are respectively connected in a circuit by means of jointed conductors 9 and 11.

Insulating columns 13, one of which is shown as mounted on the base 1 at the left of the column 4, may be employed to support the line conductors 12. String insulators 14, shown at the right of column 5 may be substituted for the columns 13 or both may be employed, as illustrated in the drawing.

A spring balancing device 15 is provided for each of the insulating columns 4 and 5 to oppose movement of the columns away from each other, in either direction.

An arm 16 is attached to each of the pivoted ends of the columns 4 and 5 and is connected to a plunger 17 of the device '15 by a pin 18, the device 15' being pivoted to'the base by a pin 19;

When the insulating columns 4 and 5 are in substantially vertical position, the balancing device 15 has no biasing action but, as the columns 0 are moved in either direction "therefrom, the device opposes the movementin a manner-to prevent shock to the columns when completing the said movements.

An enlarged view of the contact members '7 and 8 is shown in Fig. 2 in circuit-closed position. The member 7 has a slightly resilient contact terminal 21 of substantially inverted U-shape to receive a contact terminal 22 that is pivotally mounted upon the member 8 by the pin 20. The terminal 22 has a head 23 that is of slightly greater width than the normal space between the arms of the terminal 21. The member 22 is provided with stop projections 24 and 25, the former of which engages the contact face 27 of the memher '7 and the latter of which engages a buffer .3 26 that is supported by the contact member 7 in such manner that, as the contacts are moved to engaging position, the stop 25 engages the buffer 26 to absorb the shock of closing until the stop 24 engages the contact face 27. The conductors 9 and 11 have their jointed portions connected by flexible conductors 28 in order to shunt the current around the joints.

Referring to Fig. 3, a novel arrangement is shown for supporting the insulating columns 4 and 5 for arcuate movement. The bracket 2 comprises a base 29 having a cap 30 supported thereon by bolts 31 forming a bearing for a shaft 32.

A supporting member 33 is provided for the insulator 4; having a pair of flanges 34 with associated hubs 35 that support the member 33 on the shaft 32. The flanges 34 are joined to flanges 36 of connecting members 37 that unite two adjacent switches (not shown), when my structure is employed in a three-wire circuit. When employed in a single wire circuit the members 37 are connected directly to the operating mechanism.

When it is desired to complete the circuit 12 by my switch structure, the operating mechanism moves the insulating columns 4 and 5 from their open positions toward each other, assisted by the biasing action of the balancing device 15, until they reach a vertical position, their movement thereafter being opposed by the biasing action of the said device 15. As the contact terminal 22 engages the face 2'7 of the member 7, the head 23 completes the circuit therewith and, because of the slope of the face 27, the contact and separating the contact members, that areof the high-pressure type and that exert a wiping action which is desirable in contacts employed in high-voltage circuits.

My invention is further novel in providing balancing devices that oppose the movement of the insulating columns away .from a substantially vertical position and assist their movement toward that position.

While I have described andshown but a single embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to'be limited to this specific structure, as many arrangements, additions, subtractionsor substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A disconnecting switch for an electric circuit including a pair of insulators spaced apart and pivotally mounted to tilt toward and away from each other, a fixed contact and a bufier mounted on one insulator, a contact hinged on the other insulator and having an extension, jointed means for connecting the electric circuit to each contact member, and anoperating member for tilting the insulators whereby, in closing, the hinged contact is moved into pressure'engagement with the stationary contact and the said extension engages the bufier to arrest the forward movement of the insulators.

2. A disconnecting switch for an electric circuit including a pair of pivoted insulating columns each having a contact member thereon connected to a conductor of the electric circuit, means associated with the contact members to efiect a pressure engagement when the switch is in closed position, an operating mechanism adapted toactuate the insulator columns simultaneously, and abuilerand an extension associated with the respective contact members that engage at approximately the end of the closing movement to reduce the shock thereof.

HERBERT J. CRABBS.

its 

